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Sunday, March 21, 2010

Venezuela cuts power to 80 firms

Venezuela has said it will cut the power for a 24-hour period to 80 firms that have failed to meet electricity usage reduction targets.

Caracas announced the measures on Sunday as part of a nationwide drive to save energy amid rationing to cope with electricity shortages.

The 80 firms did not reduce their power consumption by the required 20 per cent and will have their electricity cut on Monday, the state utility said.

Those companies include hotels, restaurants, car dealerships, gyms and a yacht club, as well as Sony de Venezuela SA, the local arm of the Japanese firm Sony Corp.

Hugo Chavez, the president, had ordered the firms to reduce their consumption by presidential decree.

The decree was made after a severe drought in the country depleted hydroelectric electricity production which provides for more than 66 per cent of the country's power.

Incompetence claims

A statement from the state utility said that if the firms do not reduce their power consumption in the coming weeks they could have their electricity cut for three days and then indefinitely.

The opposition has said that Chavez is to blame for the crisis due to incompetent management of the power sector.

Chavez responded in a newspaper column: "This [opposition] campaign has, of course, one single aim: declare Hugo Chavez guilty of everything, even the drought.

"Indeed, I would love to have the powers I'm accused of by the opposition to defeat this situation which not only hurts Venezuela but the whole world as a result of the destructive voracity of the capitalist system."

Polls show that the issue has caused Chavez's typically high ratings to drop, and it is feared the crisis could affect Venezuela's chances of coming out of recession.

Legislative elections are planned for September and there will be a presidential vote next year.

Source: Al-Jazeera.
Link: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2010/03/2010321153757542289.html.

Iran's enemies 'planned civil war'

Iran's supreme leader has said that enemies of his country had plans to bring about a civil war in the Islamic republic in the aftermath of last June's disputed presidential elections.

In a message to mark the Nowruz new year festival on Sunday, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei blamed the US and Israel for violent protests that followed the re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Iran has seen a series of bloody clashes since the poll as opposition supporters have taken to the streets after two defeated candidates claimed Ahmadinejad's camp had carried out massive fraud to secure victory.

Dozens of people were killed and hundreds of others arrested as police and pro-government militia cracked down on the protests and their supporters.

"The enemies wanted to divide the people and to create a civil war, but the nation was alert," Khamenei said.

"If they were able to do it, the US and Zionist regime would have sent troops to Tehran's streets, but they knew it would hurt them. Thus they spread propaganda and supported the rioters."

Tehran has repeatedly blamed the US and its allies for fomenting the post-election unrest.

'Unclean hand'

Ahmadinejad, in his own address marking Nowruz, vowed to defend Iran from foreign threats.

"Any unclean hand from any corner of the world that comes out from any sleeve and tries to harm the dear [Iranian] nation will be cut off with prudence, swiftness and steadfastness," he said.

The president also said that his government will continue to pursue a leadership role on the world stage.

Khamenei and Ahmadinejad's messages came after Barack Obama, the US president, addressed the Iranian people in a video broadcast on the internet.

In his message, the US president renewed his administration's offer of dialogue and criticized Tehran's leaders for "turning their backs" on previous overtures.

He also promised more educational and cultural exchanges, as well as support in ensuring that Iranians were able to get uncensored access to the internet.

Opposition protesters have used social media to organize their protesters and spread news and footage from demonstrations to the wider world.

Nowruz, a 12-day holiday, celebrates the arrival of spring and the beginning of the new year on the Persian calendar.

Source: Al-Jazeera.
Link: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/03/2010321144114106942.html.

As UK elections near, polls point to hung parliament

Pre-election polls suggest Britain is steering towards a hung parliament, as main opposition Conservatives maintained their lead over ruling Labor party weeks ahead of the vote.

Two opinion polls published on Sunday indicated that neither party seems set to score an overall majority in the May 6 vote.

The ICM survey has given the Conservatives 38 percent of votes, six points ahead of Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Labor party, while a You-Gov poll for the Sunday Times yielded similar results.

The centrist Liberal Democrats, the likely kingmakers if the scenario is repeated in the elections, came third with an estimated 19 percent of voter support.

This would be the country's first hung parliament in more than four decades.

A party would need at least 326 seats in the House of Commons out of 650 for a clear majority win. Labor currently holds 346 seats, the Conservatives 193, and the Liberal Democrats 63.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=121347§ionid=351020601.

In Iran, Leader assails hypocrisy in US approach

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said Sunday the actions of the United States run counter to its call for establishing amicable relations with Iran.

"The new [US] administration and president claimed interest in just and fair relations; they wrote letters and sent messages ... saying they are willing to normalize relations with the Islamic Republic, but in practice they did the opposite," the Leader said in a Nowruz address to Iranians in the holy city of Mashhad.

The remarks came after the US president repeated his symbolic offer of dialogue with Tehran, without specifying what concessions Washington is actually prepared to make.

"We are working with the international community to hold the Iranian government accountable because they refuse to live up to their international obligations," said President Barack Obama in a Nowruz message released Saturday. "But our offer of comprehensive diplomatic contacts and dialogue stands."

Ayatollah Khamenei lashed out at the US president for supporting the unrest erupted after last year's June presidential election, saying the enemies had plans to start a "civil war" in the country.

"They tried very much to divide the people but they failed … this was a victory for the nation," he said. "Eight months after the elections, they took the worst possible stance. The [US] president called those rioters and saboteurs 'civil rights activists'."

"Sometimes the US government appears as a wolf or a fox and looks violent and arrogant, and sometimes they look different," the Leader added.

The Leader said it was normal for Iran to have enemies as it is supported by the nations around the world. Washington, on the other hand, he said, is hated by the nations around the world for decades of aggression and invasion against sixty countries.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=121353§ionid=351020101.

Tajikistan to screen Iranian films on Nowruz

Tajikistan is slated to screen 10 short films and documentaries made by Iranian filmmakers on the theme of Nowruz.

Farhad Mehranfar's New Year, Farshad Fereshteh-Hekmat's Anahid, Gholamreza Razavi's Night under the Sky, Masoud Soflaei's Flight in the Mirror and Panahbarkhoda Rezaei's Ancient Day will be among the films scheduled to be screened during the program.

Cosponsored by the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization (ICRO) and the Iranian Embassy in Tajikistan, the event will be held in the cities of Dushanbe and Khujand on March 26 and 27.

Visitors will also be able to enjoy a photo exhibition introducing Nowruz traditions and ceremonies on the sidelines of the cultural program.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=121356§ionid=351020105.

Azerbaijan insists on Iran, Iraq Nabucco participation

Azerbaijan's energy minister says Iran and Iraq should also be involved in the Nabucco pipeline for the strategic project to be undertaken.

In an interview published in UK newspaper Independent, Natiq Aliyev said the success of the €7.9bn Nabucco pipeline will be based on the participation of other gas-rich countries such as Iran and Iraq, as Azerbaijan could not produce all the required gas for the project.

Aliyev, however, claimed that tensions in Iraq and Iran would have to be dampened before joining the supply line.

"I think in a few years, when the Iran and Iraq situation is more stable politically, we will be able to implement the Nabucco project very speedily," he said.

The 3,300-kilometer pipeline will bring Caspian and Central Asian gas to Europe and is meant to reduce the European Union's dependence on Russian natural gas.

Aliyev added that the project's shareholders, including Austria's OMV and Romania's Transgaz, will not hit their target to start construction next year.

"I don't think construction will be in one or two years. Countries like Iraq, Iran and Turkmenistan need to join this project," he said.

In 2009, the US State Department's special envoy for Eurasian energy ruled out the possibility of Iran's participation in Nabucco, saying the gas pipeline consortium would reject Tehran's involvement.

"I don't think there would ever be an agreement at this point among the Nabucco consortium for Iranian participation at this time," Richard Morningstar said.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=121351§ionid=351020606.

Mauritania severs all diplomatic ties with Israel

Sun Mar 21, 2010

Mauritania has officially ended its relations with Israel one year after freezing all bilateral ties over Israel's deadly siege on the Gaza Strip.

The northwest African nation's foreign minister, Naha Mint Hamdi Ould Mouknass, said late Saturday that her country's break of diplomatic relations with Israel was "complete and definitive."

The announcement was made at a gathering in Nouakchott aimed at rallying support for policies of President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz.

Nouakchott has also expelled Israel's representative and closed Tel Aviv's embassy in the country.

The move leaves Egypt and Jordan as the only Arab countries to have signed peace treaties with Israel that host Israeli embassies.

Relations between the two soured after Israel's offensive on the tiny but densely populated enclave in late 2008. Mauritania and Qatar froze relations with Tel Aviv a few months later.

Several other nations, including Bolivia and Venezuela, suspended ties with Israel over the 22-day air and ground assault that killed more than 1,400 Palestinians.

The number of fatalities at the Israeli side by the end of the conflict reportedly stood at 13.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/121349.html.

Lebanese army fires on Israeli warplanes

Anti-aircraft guns open fire on two Israeli fighter planes violating Lebanese air space.

BEIRUT - Lebanese anti-aircraft guns opened fire on two Israeli warplanes that were violating its airspace at medium altitude on Sunday, the military said.

"The army's anti-aircraft guns fired at two Israeli warplanes overflying Hasbaya" in southeastern Lebanon, an army statement said.

The incident came amid rising regional tension and heightened concern in Lebanon over recent Israeli threats against Hezbollah.

The army publishes almost daily reports of Israeli violations of Lebanese air space. But it rarely opens fire unless the Israeli planes fly within range of its guns.

Israeli infringements of Lebanese airspace are a breach of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 which ended the devastating 2006 war between Israel and resistance group Hezbollah.

The war claimed the lives of more than 1,200 people in Lebanon, most of them civilians, and more than 160 Israelis, most of them soldiers.

Hezbollah, originally a resistance group formed to counter an Israeli occupation of south Lebanon, had forced the Israeli military out of Lebanon in 2000. Israel, however, continues to occupy the Lebanese Shabaa Farms.

Source: Middle East Online.
Link: http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=37956.

Kuwait expatriate workforce falls

Global economic downturn causes decline of foreign workforce for second year.

KUWAIT CITY - Kuwait's expatriate workforce dipped last year for the second time in a row, impacted by the global economic downturn, according to official figures on Sunday.

Kuwait's foreign workforce has been declining since 2008.

The expatriate labor force went from 1.77 million in 2007 to 1.75 million the year after and 1.74 million last year, according to the report. The latest decline of 0.6 percent was marginal.

But the total expatriate population, including workers' families, rose slightly last year by 11,000 to 2.37 million, a similar rise to 2008 but a massive slide from the previous years.

Kuwait's expatriate population had increased by 150,000 to 200,000 every year since 2003 due to an economic boom triggered by high oil prices that hit a record high of 147 dollars a barrel in mid 2008.

Between 2004 and 2007, the number of expatriates rose by 737,000, mainly due to overseas recruitment. But they increased by just 26,000 over the past two years.

Oil revenues provide around 94 percent of total income for Kuwait, a major producer inside the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

Expatriates still make up 67.9 percent of the total population of 3.49 million, with Kuwaitis accounting for 32.1 percent, or 1.2 million, PACI statistics showed.

The economic slowdown, which has prompted a raft of Kuwaiti firms to lay off foreign workers, saw the citizen workforce rise to 351,000 last year from 336,000 at the end of 2008.

About 270,000, or almost 77 percent, were employed in the public sector, while Kuwaitis made up just four percent of the 1.67 million private sector work force.

Asians, who number 1.32 million, make up the largest part of the expatriate population, followed by 984,000 Arabs, and a total 34,500 Europeans, Americans and Australians.

Source: Middle East Online.
Link: http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=37957.

Lawmakers assail Ahmadinejad, propose debate

Three lawmakers on Saturday slammed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for launching an attack on the elected representatives of the people, saying he is legally obliged to execute the economic reform plan approved by the Parliament (Majlis).

Gholam Reza Mesbahi Moqaddam, Ali Tavakkoli, and Elyas Naderan — three Tehran lawmakers seen as economic experts — said in a joint statement that the president is under oath to implement the approved legislation.

"The president does not have the right to disobey a law which has been approved by the Parliament," read the statement.

Thus, they said, questioning the collective judgment of the Parliament on the economic reform plan was neither wise nor legal, they said, Fars news agency reported.

In a televised interview on Friday, President Ahmadinejad suggested holding a referendum to approve radical subsidy cuts that the Parliament has approved partially; arguing that any such move could stoke inflation.

"The solution is to ask people if they want this law to be implemented or not and to hold a referendum on this issue," Ahmadinejad said. "We should not require the government to do something that hurts people. The government would not do anything that hurts the people."

In reaction, the lawmakers, considered as economic experts, slammed the president, but said providing the legal process is taken, the Parliament would consider a referendum. "Any call for referendum, after it is approved by the Parliament, should be issued by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, [Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei]."

They, however, invited the president to a televised debate over the issue.

"To further clarify [the issue] for the people and avert a one-sided argument, we are ready to defend the national interest, the people's interest, and the country's economy in a debate with Mr. Ahmadinejad," they said. "However, it would be wise if he assigned the task to economic experts, since he is not one."

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=121292§ionid=351020102.

Ahmadinejad promises 'better news' for New Iranian Year

On the occasion of the Iranian New Year - Nowruz - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has promised that his government would pursue “the road to supremacy with greater speed."

Looking at the last presidential election, Ahmadinejad called it “a great election, with unprecedented and epic participation of the people, which challenged all the set-up of the unipolar world."

According to the text of the greeting published on the presidential website, Ahmadinejad said that "the clear, decisive and high [number of] votes of the nation for the elected and dutiful president defined the clear path for the future and manifested the globalization of the revolution."

He went on to say that “in this election, the new humanitarian and true method of democracy and the rule of the good were displayed before the peoples of the world."

Pointing to the drawn out protests against the election results, Ahmadinejad said: “Of course, the enemies tried to prevent the luster of the Iranian nation …by throwing dust [towards the sun], but in reality they threw dust on their own faces and the grandeur of the Iranian nation dazzled the eyes of the world."

“The enemies… must know that the Iranian nation today is much happier, kinder, more determined and stronger than the past year."

Turning to the economy, Ahmadinejad enumerated a long list of “great achievements of the Iranian nation in [the fields of] nuclear, laser, aerospace, health, medical care, medicines, industries, agriculture, dams, roads, railways, numerous great and small factories, and success in the fields of commerce and investment."

“While important regions of the world faced recession and negative economic growth, the Iranian nation experienced high growth rates in economy, development, industry and agriculture."

He said that over the past year, "inflation was reined in and cost of housing was reduced and the unity and solidarity of the Iranian nation reached a desired and rarely seen level."

Regarding international affairs, Ahmadinejad said, “through its wise and strong participation in the management of the world, the government will restore the appropriate and unique position of the Iranian nation."

He promised that his government will overcome “the obstacles to development… and pursue reformist and revolutionary programs in [the areas] of economy, culture and development for the benefit of all the people, especially the deprived and will present great achievements to the dear people."

In addition to the people of Iran, Ahmadinejad also sent “special Nowruz greetings” to the peoples of Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, India, Pakistan, Iraq, littoral Persian Gulf states, parts of Russia and China, wherein Nowruz is celebrated.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=121303§ionid=351020101.

Iraq election commission turns down recount demand

Iraqi electoral commission on Sunday rejected the wholesale recount of the ballots cast in the recent general election amid calls for the measure by the Iraqi president and prime minister.

"We have provided all political entities with CDs with the results of counting at the political centers, after thorough checks on our part," the head of Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission Faraj al-Haidari was quoted as saying by AFP.

"If they have doubts and think that there are errors, they can ask us to hold recounts at particular centers, but not across all of Iraq," he added.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and President Jalal al-Talabani have urged a manual recount of the vote, with the premier saying the measure would "protect political stability ... and prevent a return to violence."

Election tally, obtained by counting 92 percent of the ballots from the March 7 elections, on Saturday turned unexpectedly in favor of Maliki's rival camp, the al-Iraqiya Alliance. The updated results gave, al-Iraqiya, which is headed by former premier Iyad Allawi, a slim lead of 8,000 votes.

Al-Iraqiya lawmaker Intisar Allawi, meanwhile, called Maliki's call for a recount a "clear threat against the commission."

With the 325 parliamentary seats being allotted by province, the turn of events, however, has not disheartened Maliki's supporters as his Rule of Law party retains its lead in seven of Iraq's 18 provinces — two more than the ones conquered by al-Iraqiya.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=121341§ionid=351020201.

Volcano erupts in Iceland, hundreds evacuated

By GUDJON HELGASON and PAISLEY DODDS, Associated Press Writers
REYKJAVIK, Iceland – A volcano erupted near a glacier in southern Iceland, shooting ash and molten lava into the air and forcing the evacuation Sunday of hundreds of people from nearby villages.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano, but a state of emergency was declared and scientists feared the eruption could trigger a larger and potentially more dangerous eruption at the Katla volcano.

Saturday's eruption, which occurred just before midnight (2000 EDT, 8 p.m. EDT), came weeks after a series of small earthquakes. Television footage showed lava flows along the fissure.

"This was a rather small and peaceful eruption but we are concerned that it could trigger an eruption at the nearby Katla volcano, a vicious volcano that could cause both local and global damage," said Pall Einarsson, a geophysicist at the University of Iceland's Institute of Earth Science.

Authorities evacuated 450 people between the farming village of Hvolsvollur and the fishing village of Vik, some 100 miles (160 kilometers) southeast of the capital, Reykjavik, said Vidir Reynisson of the Icelandic Civil Protection Department.

Evacuation centers were set up near the town of Hella. The most immediate threat was to livestock because of the caustic gases.

"We had to leave all our animals behind," Elin Ragnarsdottir, a 47-year-old farmer, told RUV, Iceland's national broadcaster from an evacuation center. "We got a call and a text message ... and we just went."

Iceland sits on a large volcanic hot spot in the Atlantic's mid-oceanic ridge. Volcanic eruptions, common throughout Iceland's history, are often triggered by seismic activity when the Earth's plates move and when magma from deep underground pushes its way to the surface.

Scientists in Iceland have been monitoring the recent activity using seismometers and global positioning instruments. Like earthquakes, however, it is difficult to predict the exact timing of eruptions.

"The volcano has been inflating since the beginning of the year, both rising and swelling," Einarsson told The Associated Press. "Even though we were seeing increased seismic activity, it could have been months or years before we saw an eruption like this ... we couldn't say that there was an imminent risk for the area."

The population around the Eyjafjallajokull volcano and the glacier that bears the same name is sparse — unlike the area around the Katla volcano, which is also covered by glacial ice and poses a greater danger of floods, according to Einarsson.

"One of the possible scenarios we're looking at is that this small eruption could bring about something bigger. This said, we can't speculate on when that could happen," he said in an interview.

Authorities initially feared the eruption occurred below the 100-square-mile (160 square-kilometer) Eyjafjallajokull glacier and could have triggered floods if the glacial ice melted. But after an aerial survey Sunday they concluded that the eruption struck near the glacier in an area where there was no ice.

"This is the best possible place for an eruption," said Tumi Gudumundsson, a geologist at the University of Iceland.

There hasn't been an eruption near the Eyjafjallajokull glacier since 1821.

The Icelandic Civil Aviation Administration ordered aircraft to stay 120 nautical miles away from the volcano area due to low visibility in some areas.

All domestic flights were canceled until further notice, the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service reported, but Reykjavik appeared to be unaffected with clear visibility.

Three Icelandair flights from the U.S. — departing from Seattle, Boston and Orlando, Florida — bound for Keflavik airport in Reykjavik were turned back to Boston, leaving about 500 people waiting, the airline said.

Flights to Stockholm, London, Amsterdam and Frankfurt were scheduled to leave Sunday but a flight to Oslo was canceled and passengers were being rerouted. The airline expected further delays throughout Sunday.

First settled by Vikings in the 9th century, Iceland is known as the land of fire and ice because of its volcanos and glaciers. During the Middle Ages, Icelanders called the Hekla volcano the "Gateway to Hell," believing that souls were dragged below. Hekla is Iceland's most active volcano.

In the mid-1780s, the Laki volcano erupted, prompting scores to die of famine when livestock and crops were destroyed.

Iceland, an island with a population of just 320,000, has been better known recently for its financial troubles.

After a decade of dizzying economic growth that saw Icelandic banks and companies snap up assets around the world, the global financial crisis wreaked political and economic havoc on the island nation. Iceland's banks collapsed within a week in October 2008, its krona currency plummeted and protests toppled the government.

The new left-of-center government has been trying to negotiate a plan to repay $3.5 billion to Britain and $1.8 billion to the Netherlands as compensation for funds that those governments paid to citizens who had accounts with Icesave, an Icelandic Internet bank that failed along with its parent, Landsbanki.

Icelandic voters this month resoundingly rejected a $5.3 billion plan to repay that debt.

West Bank boom eyes new hilltop city - if Israel agrees - Feature

(WARNING): Article contains propaganda!

* * * * *

Rawabi, West Bank - Bashar Masri had several options to choose from when it came to picking a name for the new Palestinian city he is building from scratch on a hilltop in the occupied West Bank.

Salam (peace) and Amal (hope) were considered, while Jihad (Holy War) and Kifah (Struggle) were also suggested by Palestinians in a questionnaire he commissioned.

But it was a friend who came up with the name he eventually went for - a neutral one with no political connotations: Rawabi.

The word means "hills" in Arabic and, explains the Palestinian businessman, reflects the typical West Bank topography of the idyllic, olive-green, ochre-brown and limestone-pale slopes some 9 kilometers north of the central city of Ramallah.

"I didn't want to give it a political name, not even peace, not even hope. I didn't want to give anyone false expectations. This is about our right to live a normal life, despite the occupation," Masri says.

And yet, the presence of that occupation can be felt heavily in Masri's personal story - and in the story of the city he is building, part of the growing economic development of the West Bank.

The father of two teenage daughters was born and raised in Nablus on the northern West Bank, but has lived in the United States since his student days. He needs a tourist visa from Israel to return to the occupied territory on his American passport.

"When we picked the area of Rawabi, we were very careful to pick it so that we would have minimal interaction with the Israeli occupation, or Israeli government," says Masri.

However, some interaction is inevitable.

The whole project hinges on the construction of an access road from Ramallah, the West Bank's economic, cultural and political hub.

For that, too, he needs permission from the Israelis, since a 2.4-kilometer stretch of it passes through territory that is under Israeli security and administrative control.

The 1993 Oslo accords divided the West Bank into three categories: areas "A" enjoy full autonomy, areas "B" are administered by Palestinians but fall under Israeli security control, while areas "C" are under full Israeli control.

The road that Masri wants to build partly runs through area C.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak has given his approval in principle, but Masri says he needs more guarantees before he can begin actual construction.

"I would be stupid to build a city that has no access road. And I'm not stupid."

Masri wants the Palestinians to have full jurisdiction over the road. Otherwise, Israel would be able to set up roadblocks any time it decides there is a security threat.

Moreover, the 49-year-old points out, it would mean legitimizing the occupation.

"No way I would do that. No way. Even if it means no city."

Once the green-light is given, residents would be able to move in within two and a half years, he says.

A Qatari government-owned real estate company is the project's main investor, helping build some 5,000 affordable apartments for young working-class couples in the central part of the town. The rest is to be built by other contractors and private investors.

Altogether, the city would have at least 40,000 residents, making it the fourth-biggest in the West Bank, even larger than Ramallah itself.

Unsurprisingly, Masri calls it the "largest project in the history of Palestine" - at a total cost of 1.5 billion US dollars.

He says it will create jobs for roughly 10 per cent of the unemployed workforce in the West Bank, and hopes it will serve as an example for Arab tycoons and other foreigners wishing to invest in the area.

Recent years of calm have seen the West Bank economy leap by 8 per cent in 2009, according to the World Bank - a stark contrast to the economic paralysis of the violent early 2000s.

Israel has promised to facilitate its development and has begun removing roadblocks.

But even the economic boom cannot disguise the fact that the occupation lingers on.

Nearby Israeli settlements can be felt all round.

Setting out from the city's eastern edge, for instance, the Jewish settlement of Psagot is clearly visible.

And the traditional northbound road to Nablus, from the northern suburb of el-Bireh, is permanently blocked by Israeli military obstacles, set up to protect the nearby Jewish settlement of Beit El.

The current alternative route is clearly inadequate for a town of 40,000 - it crosses over a narrow land bridge where no two trucks can pass at the same time.

Once the winding road arrives at the construction site, the landscape is truly breathtaking. But it will be a long journey before the first residents will be able to enjoy it.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/315041,west-bank-boom-eyes-new-hilltop-city--if-israel.html.

UN Secretary-General Ban visits Gaza Strip

Tel Aviv -United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon visited the Gaza Strip to examine the humanitarian situation in the blockaded salient on Sunday.

After his visit, the Secretary-General is due to meet with the parents of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier held captive in the enclave for the past three-and-a-half years, after being snatched by militants in a cross-border raid.

Israel imposed a tight blockade on the Strip after Shalit was snatched, limiting the amount of goods allowed in.

Ban's visit comes just over one year after the Israeli military launched a fierce offensive against Gaza-based militias who had repeatedly been launching rockets at southern Israel.

Some 1400 Palestinians, most of them civilians, were killed in the 22 days of fighting, and thousands of homes and buildings were destroyed, according to human rights organizations.

Ban's visit coincided with another tour to the region by US special envoy George Mitchell, who is due to meet with Israeli officials on Sunday.

Mitchell had been scheduled to visit last week, but his trip was delayed as a result of a lingering Israeli-US dispute sparked by the announcement of new homes being built in an East Jerusalem neighborhood located on the occupied West Bank.

Palestinian anger over the announcement of the new settlements scuttled an agreement to hold indirect peace talks under the aegis of the US.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/315065,un-secretary-general-ban-visits-gaza-strip.html.

Donor conference for Darfur begins in Cairo

Cairo (Earth Times) - International donors gathered in Cairo Sunday for a conference to raise 2 billion dollars in aid for the western Sudanese province of Darfur that has been battered by seven years of war.

The conference, organized by the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and co-hosted by Egypt and Turkey, follows ceasefire agreements with two Darfur rebel groups. It comes three weeks ahead of national elections in Sudan.

Some 80 countries - including the 57 members of the OIC and about 25 non-members - have been invited, as well as representatives of the United Nations, the African Union, the Arab League and about 50 other international and non-governmental organizations.

Deputy Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammed Qassim said the conference seeks pledges of 2 billion dollars for long-term development projects in housing, agriculture, cement production, road infrastructure development, women's empowerment, and agricultural development.

Egypt, which is co-hosting the ministerial-level conference with Turkey, has said in a statement it hopes the conference will "send a clear message to the international community that development is central to achieving peace and stability in Darfur."

On Thursday the Darfur rebel group the Liberation and Justice Movement signed a ceasefire and a framework peace agreement with the government.

That deal followed last month's ceasefire and framework peace agreement with the larger rebel group, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM).

However, talks aimed at producing a final peace agreement between JEM and the government have already hit snags, with participants missing last week's deadline to produce a final deal.

The organizers of Sunday's conference said they hoped it would provide an "incentive to all Darfur movements" to join the peace process.

The Sudan Liberation Army, another rebel movement, has so far refused to join peace talks, and earlier this month clashed with government forces in central Darfur's Jebel Marra plateau.

The United Nations estimates that as many as 300,000 people have died and another 2.7 million been left homeless, since rebels in Darfur first began their campaign against the central government in 2003. According to the Sudanese government, only 10,000 have died.

Iraqi prime minister and president call for recount of vote

Baghdad - Both the prime minister and the president of Iraq called on the country's electoral commission to agree to requests for a recount of votes of the March 7 parliamentary polls, in a press release issued Sunday.

The requests come after former prime minister Ayad Allawi's Iraqi List eked out a narrow lead over current Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's State of Law coalition in early election results announced Saturday.

The Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) had rejected the State of Law coalition's request for a recount last week, which had been made amidst allegations of fraud.

Al-Maliki said he urged the commission to agree to a recount "because of demands from several political blocs that votes be recounted by hand in order to protect the democratic experiment and maintain the credibility of the electoral process."

He stressed that the recount was important "in order to maintain political stability and prevent the deterioration of the security situation or a return of the violence which was eliminated only with much effort, blood, and suffering."

The request was echoed by President Jalal al-Talibani, who also told the press on Sunday: "As President of the Republic, who is obligated to uphold the constitution and ensure adherence to its spirit in order to ensure overall integrity and justice, I ask the IHEC to begin a manual recount of the election votes as of today."

Al-Maliki's coalition still holds a lead in seven out of Iraq's 18 provinces, compared to five for Allawi's list, which could give al-Maliki a slight edge in seats in the new parliament, even if Allawi wins the popular vote.

Source: Earth Times,
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/315069,iraqi-prime-minister-and-president-call-for-recount-of-votes.html.

Yemenis rally in solidarity with Palestinians

Thousands of people have rallied in Yemen in a show of solidarity with the Palestinian people amid serious violations committed by Israeli forces against the revered al-Aqsa Mosque and the city of Jerusalem (al-Quds).

Protesters chanted anti-Israel and pro-Palestine slogans, carried replicas of the al-Aqsa Mosque and waved Palestinian flags in a massive rally in the Yemeni capital.

Yemeni senior officials, religious figures and lawmakers took part in the demonstration.

During the rally, Sheikh Sadeq Abdullah al-Ahmar criticized Arab leaders for their inaction concerning ongoing Israeli raids of the third holiest place in Muslim faith, al-Aqsa Mosque.

“We hope that Arab leaders would break their silence on the Israeli aggressions against Palestinians. They should provide the necessary financial support for their brothers in Palestine,” he said.

Sheikh Sadeq made reference to resistance as the only promising and practical solution to liberate the occupied Palestinian territories from the Israeli occupation.

He also called on the international community to make Israel bring to a standstill the plans, which sully sanctity of the Islamic holy sites across Palestine, particularly in al-Quds.

Sheikh Abdul Majid al-Zindani also urged Palestinians to assert their rights, demand their usurped territories to be freed and to exercise resistance against the Israeli occupation.

He denounced the Israeli atrocities committed against the Palestinian people as well as the desecration of the al-Aqsa Mosque as a “blatant breach of human rights and international resolutions.”

The cleric also proposed that Arab and Islamic countries should establish a union with the aim of supporting the Palestinian cause.

Hundreds of Palestinians clashed with Israeli security forces in al-Quds on Tuesday due to plans for more Jewish housing in the predominantly Arab eastern sector of the volatile city and renovation of a synagogue in the Old City near the al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

Israeli riot police tried to disperse the demonstrators with rubber bullets and rear gas. Protesters hurled rocks at Israeli riot police in response

More than 100 Palestinians were injured, while about 60 protesters were arrested in the protests.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=121331§ionid=351020206.

The New Al-Qaeda Has Now Arrived

Tuesday March 02, 2010

The new generation of Al-Qaeda has arrived, and they far more outstanding, compared to Osama and Ayman al-Zawahiri. Observers of the Islamic movements warned about the expansion of Al-Qaeda which already has links with Jihad groups in Yemen, Somalia and other African countries.

This new generation Al-Qaeda, which has links with the Jihad groups in Yemen, and the regional tribes, continues to strengthen their movement's bases in the midst of the weakening of the Yemeni government led by President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

This new generation is different from the previous generation, and it is also different from the previous organizational groups. This new generation is made up of educated people and they are capable of using very advanced and modern equipments especially in the field of communication and weaponry. They have also founded new weapons which are far more superior, an observer said.

This new generation of Al-Qaeda is the new generation of Mujahideen, who would replace Osama and Ayman al-Zawahiri, and they would possess far more excellent capabilities compared to the older generations, especially in the field of weaponry.

They got their educations from the developed countries and are using very advanced communication technology in their movements. This has become a concern for the West, particularly in encountering a new tendency, not only in the Islamic world but also the West. Of course, this is due to no other than the West’s particular bad view on Islam and the Islamic ummah, and their continuing occupations and invasions of the Muslim lands.

It was only recently that a conference organized by ‘The International Center for Future and Strategic Studies’ (ICFS), was held, i.e. on 27th January 2010, in Cairo, using the theme, "The Evolution of Al-Qaeda". This new generation of Al-Qaeda is viewed to become a regional security threat as a result of confrontations with the governments and the camps that serve as the foreign (Western) tools, which today continue to invade and seize the Islamic lands. The conference was attended by various politicians, security bodies and observers of the Islamic Movements, who came from various countries such as Egypt, Yemen, Palestine and other Arab countries.

Makram Mohammed Ahmed, a writer and chief of the Egyptian Syndicate of Journalists, who was the main speaker, warned about the risks posed by local organizations which have connections with Al-Qaeda, which according to him could have influence on the political life of Egypt after their failure in America. Akram gave the rise of Al-Qaeda in Yemen as an example, after their failure in Iraq, they moved to Yemen. They are able to develop their strength quickly, especially with the presence of the multitudes of militant groups which could become the potential new generation of Al-Qaeda. Today, there exists what is called Al-Qaeda in the ‘Arab Peninsula’, under the leadership of Abu Bashir al-Wahayshi, who came from Yemen.

The chief of the Egyptian Syndicate of Journalists is confident that Al-Qaeda is now developing its bases in Yemen, and it has become a factor in the new threats for the region. The rise of Al-Qaeda, along with the Salafi Jihadi groups and the al-Shabab Movement in Somalia, will make them a great power in the future. This will certainly become a threat to the allies of the West (America). This is what really worries some observers and the presidents and kings, who are no longer trusted by their citizens as they are too close to the West, which have already committed countless slaughtering and destruction of the Islamic ummah, like what is happening in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia.

According to Prof. Fuad Salabi, from the University of Yemen, and Abdul Rahim, who head the research body, the Arab Center for Research and Studies, asserted, “The phenomenon of the new generation of Al-Qaeda and their orientation, is something new and with their educational background, as well as their capabilities in developing organizations, communications and new weapons which are advanced, they are a new breed of Al-Qaeda,” Rahim said.

Al-Qaeda and the Jihadi Salafi groups, are a new kind of Islamic Movement, which carry out resistance against the Western form of invasions and secularism (materialism), which now is threatening the Muslims.

Source: Theunjustmedia.
Link: http://theunjustmedia.com/Islamic%20Perspectives/March10/The%20New%20Al-Qaeda%20Has%20Now%20Arrived.htm.

"The myth of the heroic 'national resistance' in Iraq"

Monday March 08, 2010

In the name of Allah most Gracious most Merciful

Ansar Al-Jihad Presents...
"The myth of the heroic 'national resistance' in Iraq"
By brother 'Abd-al Khaliq al-Muhajir H.A

The war in Iraq, right from the very start, was based upon a series of myths. There was of course the myth that Saddam had amassed a vast quantity of Weapons of Mass Destruction, which he might deploy, at any moment, against freedom-loving people everywhere.

There was the myth that Saddam was somehow involved with the events of September 11, that he was close to, and might possibly be sheltering, the senior leadership of the al-Qaida organization.

Then there was the myth that said the Americans would be welcomed into Iraq as liberators, that the Iraqi people would welcome them with flowers and candy...

One by one these myths have been exposed, and the majority of the people of the world, with the exception of a few 'extremists', no longer believe them.

But one myth has never went away. In fact, it has thrived over the years, and today is just as strong as ever. It is a myth that is repeated again and again and again, everywhere!

You hear it from journalists, from some members of the Iraqi government, from well-meaning, left-leaning non-Muslims in Europe and elsewhere, and from many Muslims the world over.

To the Believer, the fact that this myth is not the truth is the most obvious thing in the world, as Allah (s.w.t.) says in Surah al-Isra:

And say: "Truth has (now) arrived, and Falsehood perished: for Falsehood is (by its nature) bound to perish" (17.81)

Yet to the non-Believer it remains stubbornly hidden, as Allah (s.w.t.) says in Surah Ya-sin:

"The Word is proved true against the greater part of them: for they do not believe. We have put yokes round their necks right up to their chins, so that their heads are forced up (and they cannot see)" (36.07-08)

It is the myth that says America is facing two distinct enemies in Iraq: the first of which are the evil al-Qaida terrorists, who senselessly slaughter as many people as possible, and the second of which are the heroic 'national resistance', who only target the occupiers.

This myth continues to shape how many Muslims view the war in Iraq, and thus there is a great need to refute it once and for all.

In order to expose the myth we need to examine it closely, to see what foundation it is built upon.

When we look closely we see that this myth has at least three smaller myths which exist within the larger over-all myth, and form the foundation upon which it is supported.

These three smaller myths are as follows:

1.) The myth that the 'national resistance' are a liberation movement:

This first myth helps people contextualize what they see on the nightly news, helps them rationalize the violence they see in Iraq as being essentially the same struggle that is taking place in many other parts of the world.

In their minds, the Iraqi people are fighting off a foreign invader, a colonial oppressor, the Iraqi 'national resistance' is no different from ETA in Spain, the IRA in Northern Ireland, perhaps even the ANC in apartheid-era South Africa.

And to be fair, many of the ordinary fighters who originally joined groups like the Islamic Army in Iraq, JAAMI and Jaish al-Naqshbandiya very likely did see themselves as struggling to overthrow a foreign invader, and thereby 'free' their people.

They probably didn't realize that 'freeing' their people meant replacing a foreign occupier with a domestic one: essentially returning the Ba'ath party (or their secular Shiite equivalent) to power.

This would mean the 'freedom' for women to walk around as scantily-clan as they liked, but they would most definitely not have the freedom to wear Hijab, let alone Niqaab!

The men would have the 'freedom' to buy alcohol, or the company of a prostitute, on any street corner in Iraq, but they would most definitely not have the freedom to follow the Sunnah and grow a beard, instead of the ubiquitous Iraqi mustache.

Men and women would be free to name their children Muhammad or Fatima, but you would face scrutiny from the security forces and risk eventual imprisonment, torture and possible execution should you do anything 'extreme' like try and pray your five daily prayers in a masjid!

The leaders of the 'national resistance' in Iraq are fighting only for the return of a secular dictatorship, an Arab republic that is happy to have trade relations with the West, but one which is a fierce enemy of Islam and the Muslims.

They are fighting to recreate a society where a privileged few with the right tribal links will live in luxury, while the rest of Iraq suffers in poverty, where instead of learning about their religion the education system will be built around glorifying the socialist system and the men who run it.

Whereas the Mujahideen of the Islamic State of Iraq are fighting for much loftier goals: to make the word of Allah the most high, to implement Islamic law throughout Iraq, to create a country where each person would be judged on their piety, knowledge and steadfastness, and not on the tribe they belonged to, or the town or village they were born in.

2.) The myth that the 'national resistance' are not sectarian:

The greatest myth about the 'national resistance' is that they are fighting for 'all Iraqis', and do not differentiate between Sunni and Shiite, Arab or Kurd. What nonsense!

These are the same people who killed 180,000 Kurds (most of them Sunnis) in Operation Anfal in 1988, because they spoke the wrong language, or had the wrong skin color!

The killed a similar number of southerners in 1991, burying thousands alive and committing the most unimaginable atrocities against entire villages.

These are the people who for decades implemented a massive program to 'Arabize' the north of Iraq, hundreds of thousands of Arabs were moved from central Iraq into Kurdish villages in the north (which were promptly re-branded with Arabic names), while the 'lucky' Kurds were permitted to flee into homelessness and hunger instead of being killed.

These are the people who drained the marshes of southern Iraq - making the hundreds of thousands of Iraqis whose homes and livelihoods depended on the marshes into internal refugees virtually overnight!

The men who make up the leadership of the 'national resistance' despise everyone who is non-Arab, be they Persians, Kurds or Turkmen. If returned to power they would doubtlessly continue Saddam's policy of 'Arabizing' the north of Iraq, and essentially choking off the lifeblood of the south of the country.

Do you really believe these people would balk at setting off parked car-bombs in Shiite or Kurdish areas??

They are the ones who benefit from sectarian strife, as more and more Iraqis long for a return to the 'stability' of the Ba'athist regime.

These men hate everyone who is not from the same tribe as them, or even people from the wrong branch of their tribe!

Where as the Mujahideen from the Islamic State of Iraq, who have opened their homes to immigrant brothers who spoke every language imaginable, who have had every shade of skin color possible, are accused of being xenophobic! They are the ones who have welcomed brothers from every corner of the globe with open arms, and yet they are condemned as mindless racists!!

The Mujahideen are the ones who recite, from Surah al-Hujurat:

"The Believers are but a single Brotherhood" (49.10)

And the ones who believe Allah (s.w.t.) when He says in Surah al-Hujurat:

"O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other)" (49.13)

3.) The myth that the 'national resistance' don't target civilians:

Of course many of the worst atrocities in Iraq can be traced back to the Iranian and American intelligence networks, or to mercenary groups like Blackwater. But in the rare instance that the blame for these crimes cannot be attached to a foreign power, the blame is invariably put (by the American military and their mercenary media) squarely at the feet of the Mujahideen from the Islamic State of Iraq.

But if we consider the facts, we see this simply cannot be true!

As previously mentioned, the men from the 'national resistance' were Saddam's henchmen, whose hands are covered with the blood of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi Kurds, as well as hundreds of thousands of Iraqi Shiites. And that is without mentioning the many hundreds of thousands of Iranians killed during the Iran-Iraq war.

Their goals are purely secular, they do not believe in Allah, his Messenger, the Day of Judgment, Heaven or Hell.

As far as they are concerned, religion is just "the opiate of the masses".

Whereas the Mujahideen from the Islamic State of Iraq fight for Islam alone. The believe in Allah, all his Messengers (peace be upon them), his Books, and the Last Day, where they will be asked about everything they did.

They believe the Qur'an is the literal word of Allah (s.w.t.), and they believe that it says in Surah al-Maidah:

"...If any one slew a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew the whole of mankind: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole of mankind" (5.32)

They Believe that, as Allah (s.w.t.) says in Surah az-Zalzalah, they will be held to account for the most minor infractions imaginable:

"On that Day will men proceed in companies sorted out, to be shown the Deeds that they had done. Then shall anyone who has done an atom's weight of good, see it! And anyone who has done an atom's weight of evil, shall see it!" (99: 06-08)

So is it likely that knowing all this, they would set about intentionally slaughtering women and children in market places??

Those atrocities are the actions of men who care only for this world, and deny that a 'Hereafter' even exists!

They believe that as long as they are not held to account for their actions in this world, then they had gotten away with their crimes against the Iraqi people!

What an unpleasant surprise awaits them on the Day of Judgment, as Allah says in Surah al-Mutaffifin:

"Further, it will be said to them: 'This is the (reality) which ye rejected as false!'" (83.17)

How they will beg and plead on the Day of Judgment! They will be the ones Allah (s.w.t.) mentions in Surah al-Furqan, who will cry out:

"O my Lord! Truly my people took this Qur'an for just foolish nonsense!" (25.30)

Conclusion:

The great irony of all this is of course the fact that the Americans ARE facing two enemies in Iraq today!

One of their enemies consists of a bunch of murderous thugs, who should be condemned by all people, and especially all Muslims, everywhere.

Their other enemy consists a small band of noble, dedicated warriors standing up against the greatest forces for evil in the world today, these are people who should be praised and supported by all people, and especially all Muslims, the world over!

It's just that up until now, thanks to a massive propaganda campaign from numerous sources, many people have the two groups confused, and condemn the pious Believers for crimes they have not committed, while at the same time praising the reprehensible Renegades!

'Abd-al Khaliq al-Muhajir
Rabi Al-Awwal 22, 1431 AH
Corresponding to March 8th 2010

Source: Theunjustmedia.
Link: http://theunjustmedia.com/Islamic%20Perspectives/March10/The%20myth%20of%20the%20heroic%20%27national%20resistance%27%20in%20Iraq%20by%20brother%20%27Abd-al%20Khaliq%20al-Muhajir%20H.A.htm.

Jalal al-Din Haqqani, a Legend in the History of the Afghanistan Jihad

Thursday March 18, 2010
Al-Somood Magazine

By Mustafa Hamed

Maulavi Jalaluddin Haqqani is regarded as one of the most prominent figures of the both the period of Jihad against the communists and the Soviet invasion (1978 –1992). Maulavi Haqqani belongs to the Zadran tribe, one of the main tribes in Paktia province, adjacent to Pakistan.

As is well-known, he received his education in the religious schools in Afghanistan, as is case with most the leaders of Jihad in its past and present stages, completing his learning in the al-Haqqani madrasa in Akurah Khatik in the tribal border region with Pakistan. He then worked as a teacher in the same madrasa for a year before he entered permanently into the Jihadist effort in the provinces of Paktia and Paktika. Maulavi Haqqani remains immersed with great effectiveness in the fighting against the Americans and their allies in Afghanistan.

This is the first instalment regarding that Jihadist luminary whose story represents a peerless Jihadist legend. This instalment uses real-life stories, based on the accounts of his closest friends, students and brothers in Jihad. I had been gathering material on the beginnings of Jihad in Afghanistan in the period after the communist coup (April 1978) and, at the beginning of 1983, finished writing a small book that has not yet been published. I drafted a number of titles for it before settling on “Highlights of the First Year”.

The theme of the book was the beginnings of the Jihad in that period, considered to be among the strangest in the history of Afghanistan, but for which, unfortunately, not much has been done to document. Thus our glorious Islamic history has been obliterated and the mission of writing and commenting upon it has been left to our enemies!! Our Ummah has thereby lost its history and is living without a memory, and our generations are being raised on the poisonous excretions of the culture of our enemies.

This installment is a part of that book.

I became acquainted with Maulavi Haqqani in June of 1979 a few months before the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and later I accompanied him during my poor participation in the Afghanistan Jihad until the conquest of Girdiz in April 1992 and the conquest of Kabul a few days later. During that time, I followed many of the conquests of that great Mujahid. I grasped many of the aspects of majesty in his personality as a model for the great scholars (Ulema) of Afghanistan and students of the knowledge of the pure Mujahideen, who now stand as an impregnable bulwark against the largest crusader attack upon the Islamic Ummah across the entire globe and upon its most inaccessible fortress – Afghanistan.

“Highlights of the First Year”

After prayer on the morning of the first day of the Taraki rule, many of the men of the Hay al-Muhajareen Mosque in the Pakistani border city of Miranshah gathered to discuss in great earnest yesterday’s events in Kabul. All of them were emigrants who had fled the violence of the Daoud regime, which had swept away the king and declared a republic supported by the Marxist parties. Those men were among the minority of the people which had opposed that regime in parts of the country, but the majority of public abandoned them and chose to make peace with the regime, maybe – possibly.

Those men tried to declare Jihad against the Daoud regime, but they did not receive sufficient support from the people. Eventually the truth of their views became confirmed, but only a while had passed and the Muslims had already paid a huge price as a result of their negligence in carrying out their duty at the right time. In the Muhajareen Mosque, after events revealed the regime’s ugly face, that group saw the need to embark once again on Jihad against the communist regime.

Right away, they made the decision to travel to the city of Peshawar where were living some of the Islamic leaders who had previously fled from the injustice of the successive governments in Kabul which attacked the Islamists. They decided to seek from those leaders the immediate declaration of Jihad against the infidel government.

In Peshawar, throughout many hours both day and night, the discussions went on and opinions became divided. The first group of Mujahideen from the Daoud era believed that the Ulema should head immediately to Afghanistan and make contact with the people and residents of their respective districts to incite them to Jihad and lead them in this venture.

Another group opposed this opinion under the excuse that confronting huge government forces armed with modern weapons and equipment was tantamount to suicide and throwing oneself to destruction, which was not permissible under Shari’a. Rather, a large force equipped with heavy and light weapons must first be gathered together then launched to liberate the country. The funds necessary to implement this plan could be obtained from Islamic countries, especially the petroleum states, for those states would understand completely the danger posed to their own interests by the Marxist coup in Afghanistan. This party optimistically supported their point of view by saying that the West, which had prepared armies and equipment to confront the communists, would not hesitate to send weapons and money to support fighters against the communist regime in Kabul.

Those who spoke of the necessity of immediately launching Jihad insisted upon their position of immediately heading to the field of battle for a number of reasons:

First, the arguments of the first group would waste time while achieving nothing. During the time lost in gathering money and convincing states to support the Mujahideen, the communists would be able to shore up their rule and destroy completely any possibility of resistance.

Second, the commitment of Islamic states to assist those hostile to the Kabul regime was not guaranteed and of dubious benefit.

Third, no matter how long it takes, they would not be able to equip a force that would match or even come close to the strength of the Afghan Army which gets whatever weapons and ammunition it wants from the Soviet arsenal.
In Peshawar, divisions flared up and an agreement became impossible, as each party set out to implement what it saw as the correct way.

The “Assistance First” party set out for the petroleum countries and the countries of the west requesting aid, while the “Jihad Now” party traveled to inside Afghanistan to begin from there.

……………………….

Sheikh Jalaluddin Haqqani returned from Peshawar and its fruitless discussions to his house in Miranshah and the people, muhajireen and adherents of the old Jihad against the rule of Daoud. He declared Jihad again and surrounded himself with a number of those who previously waged Jihad against the rule of Daoud, including Maulavi Mahmud Lala, the old Mujahid who was more than 70 years old but still possessed crushing strength and a body that was harder than rock. With him were the young Maulavi Ahmad Gul, the pious worshiper, and four young students of knowledge. They all gathered their wealth and sold their worldly goods, leaving their families without money, buying instead ammunition and rations. Since the days of the Jihad against the Daoud regime, they had possessed seven old English rifles, taken as booty in the Afghan war against the English, and they purchased a decrepit mule on which they loaded their baggage.

The seven men crossed the mountain paths into Paktia province where the lived the toughest Afghan tribes who had taught bitter lessons to previous British expeditions.

Jalaluddin settled in the mountain canyons and contacted his people in Zadran. A delegation from the mountain villages reached him secretly, telling him that government forces had come and burned down his home and the home of his relatives and that tanks had arrived in the village, terrorizing the people. The government had warned the residents that any attempt at rebellion would be met with maximum force. The people were frightened and convinced that their rifles would be useless against government tanks and MiG aircraft which swept the skies of the region repeatedly every day.

They gave Jalaluddin and his group some food, apologizing for their inability to help them further, and then returned to whence they came.

This meeting was frustrating to the hopes and the determination of the most courageous men. By morning, the government had learned of the presence of Jalaluddin and his group and sent a number of squads to sweep the mountains and increased the aircraft operations in the skies over the region. Jalaluddin and his men fell back to the trackless mountains. Their food was on the point of running out and their mule was near death from exhaustion and the difficulty of the road.

In the evening they sat down to consult with each other. They lit a fire, and Jalaluddin was exhausted and hungry but he was tough. He and his hungry, tired, hunted companions would not yield. The cold of the mountains penetrated their bones. He was commander of the caravan and it was up to him to decide and make clear to them how they had to act.

At this moment crucial moment, Jalaluddin said to them:

“We will wage Jihad fi Sabeel Allah, even if all people forsake us. There is no victory except from Allah. We do not fear the Afghan army. Allah said to us ‘It is Allah Whom you should more justly fear, if ye believe’. We seven individuals are facing an army of eighty thousand but Allah said, ‘How oft, by Allah’s will, has a small force vanquished a big one’. We have an example in the victory given by Allah, Subhanahu wTa’ala, to the Believers over Goliath and his huge armies, and the victory given by the Almighty to Moses and his lowly people over the pharaoh and his vast army. All of remember the events of the battle of Badr and the aid Allah gave to his noble Messenger and his companions. For those who desire the ease of this world, let him return to his family and live content, if he so wants, in the lowliness of exile and under the subjugation of infidels. Whoever desires martyrdom let him stay with me. For tomorrow after dawn prayer, we attack the government garrison in the valley. Let Allah judge the matter that has been done”.

Tears flowed from the eyes of the men and, one after another, they purified themselves in a nearby stream whose clear waters flowed from the heart of the mountains. And they remained in prayer until midnight. For the morning was their appointment with martyrdom.

The men finished the dawn prayer and each took up his rifle, inspected it quickly, and placed a cartridge belt upon his shoulders. Jalaluddin, wearing a smile that illuminated his face, whispered “Allah, O wind of paradise”.

The men smiled and prepared to depart. Jalaluddin raised his arm to heaven and his men gathered about him, saying Amen to his prayer as his eyes filled with tears and he recited the prayer that the Messenger of Allah used to recite before the beginning of battle. He wiped his beard after they finished prayer, and gave the order to move out. The seven men dispersed among the rocks like moths or seven lovers overcome by an excruciating desire and approached to within 200 meters of the camp.

Jalaluddin ordered the one of his men with the strongest voice to call upon the soldiers of the camp to surrender and join the camp of the Muslims - for this was the guidance of the Messenger to his soldiers before war.

The man stood and in his loudest voice called to the soldiers, explaining the unbelief of the government and the prohibition against aiding them to kill Muslims and destroy their homes. He had not finished his message when it was answered from inside the camp by the abominable cry “hurrah”, which was the war cry of the communists. This was followed by automatic weapon fire.
Jalaluddin cried “Allahu Akbar”, calling his men to battle. The exchange of gunfire continued incessantly: seven antique rifles, relics of the past century, against automatic weapons firing hundreds of rounds each minute.

It was clear that there was no hope and that what was unfolding was madness itself. But two hours after the battle began, the government garrison stopped firing. The Mujahideen therefore ceased their assault in order to reconnoiter the situation. The voices of the soldiers then called out asking them to cease fire because they surrendered.

The soldiers of the garrison emerged from their positions shouting “Allahu Akbar” and dragging the corpse of a man by his feet – he was their Khalqi leader, a member of the communist Khalq party. One of the soldiers had shot and killed him, and the entire unit joined the Mujahideen. Not one the Mujahideen was wounded or martyred.

Paktia and the entire southern region were shaken by the news which was circulating around the mountain peaks. Dozens of young men from the tribes joined Jalaluddin and food and clothing poured in from the tribes of the south. Within two days following the battle, it became clear that resistance was possible.

However, a troublesome question kept everyone awake at night: what if the tanks come? This question continued to trouble the minds of everyone although they did not reveal this to their leader Jalaluddin.

The rifles and machines guns they had captured would not penetrate these steel beasts…so what to do?

The question did not long remain. The government decided the matter by sending a large force of infantry and tanks to chastise the entire region. News reached Jalaluddin that a government force had left the provincial capital and was on its way to them.

Many felt confusion. Some felt fear, especially those who had witnessed these beasts demolishing nearby villages. The people gathered to Jalaluddin to seek his opinion on this dilemma, and the men found him calmly smiling as he came out for prayer. So he made fun of them saying: “Perhaps you are frightened because the tanks are coming?” They answered, “Yes, we don’t have the strength to fight tanks, and we have no weapons that penetrate them.” He asked them, smiling, “Who is more powerful: Allah the Creator of heaven and earth or tanks? The people were surprised by the question of the revered scholar and they answered without hesitation, “Allah, Subhanahu wTa’ala”. And he said kindly but firmly, “All who believe that truthfully is a believer of the truth faith, if we are not victorious, we have gained that which is better than victory, we have gained martyrdom and the company of the His noble Messenger and his Companions in Paradise. For he who would love to obtain this honor, let him come with me. I go to await the tanks at the mountain pass.”

Radical Transformation

Fifty men set out with Jalaluddin for the mountain pass, some of them carrying automatic weapons. Thus for the first time the Bedu of those mountains carried automatic weapons. Jalaluddin smiled as he thought about this novelty and he murmured in the ear of his comrade, the old Mujahad Mahmud Lala saying, “This is from the blessings of Jihad, Sheikh Mahmud.” And Sheikh Mahmud laughed with all his heart.

Jalaluddin stopped, standing upright in the middle of the mountain corridor which was crossed by a level but unpaved road. He then turned to face his men and said, “If we are faithful, here the angels will descend upon us”. He raised his hand to heaven in a humble prayer to Allah, beseeching Him for victory over their enemies or martyrdom in His cause. Sheikh Mahmud broke into tears with loud sobs as he remembered his 70 years without earning a meeting with the Beloved Ones.

The men dispersed to positions among the rocky peaks and as the morning lengthened, there came from afar the rumbling noise of the metal beasts. The first tank had just entered the mouth of the pass to cross it when there came cries of “Allahu Akbar” and bullets of the Mujahideen poured upon the steel beasts.

The heavy machine guns of those tanks which had not yet entered the pass opened fire on the heights in order to suppress the fire of the Mujahideen. In the midst of the din of machine gun fire and spraying rock, the sound of a terrible explosion reverberated around the entrance to the pass. All were stupefied as they watched the first tank explode and pieces of it scatter in the air. Ahmad Gul brandished his ancient rifle and cried, “Allahu Akbar. The victory and triumph of Allah has come”.

Then a round struck a fuel truck outside the pass and it set alight and soon exploded. Its wreckage scattered and the ammunition and shells it carried caused great destruction. Then something occurred that had not been taken into consideration: the soldiers jumped from their tanks, leaving them inside and outside the pass, and the movement of the entire military force stopped completely.

At the end of the battle, one of tank commanders who had been taken prisoner told them that they thought the Mujahideen had struck the first tank with a rocket, frightening the soldiers trapped inside their tanks between the walls of the pass. So they opened the hatches of the tanks and jumped out, taking up positions behind the rocks to exchange fire with the Mujahideen. This was a golden opportunity for the Mujahideen to pick off the soldiers one by one, for they were by nature skilled sharpshooters.

The attack collapsed completely and the Mujahideen took as booty a large amount of automatic rifles, medium machine guns, transport vehicles and tanks. More important than any of this was the acquisition of RPG-7 anti-armor grenades. This was a radical transformation in the course of the fighting in that region. After that battle, the tanks no longer excited terror and the Mujahedeen became more proficient and capable of opposing armored assaults.

On the road, old Sheikh Mahmud Lala whispered in the ear of Jalal al-Din, “Tell me Jalal al-Din, what happened to that tank in the front?” Jalal al-Din answered him gravely as he was lost in thought, “Subhan Allah Sheikh Mahmud, did I not tell you these were the blessings of Jihad. Allah aids those who aid Him.”

News flew from Paktia to Ghazny and all the south of the victory of the Mujahideen, and riders among the wild mountain trails circulated the story that angels had come down from heaven to aid the Mujahideen. And so the spirit of Jihad was ignited in the heart of the mountains.

The news of the victories of the Mujahideen reached the army camps, and the soldiers themselves circulated these same stories about the angels descending from heaven to help the Mujahideen. This awakened their religious feelings and there occurred repeatedly cases of government soldiers fleeing with their weapons and joining the Mujahideen or even more: some of them had opened fire on communist officers and there were increasing cases where entire military units surrendered after a short battle that had been pre-arranged with the Mujahideen to give them the opportunity to assassinate their military leaders and political officials.

In Paktia, during the first year alone, the entire province was liberated with the exception of its capital Gardiz and its major city Khost, as well as a number of strongholds which relied increasingly upon helicopters to deliver supplies. Scattered across the surface of the main roads were the wrecks of dozens of destroyed and burned-out tanks and trucks. The booty provided the Mujahedeen with modern weapons, including artillery pieces, mortars and a quantity of serviceable tanks. In sum, their military force numbered a thousand while the strength of their morale reached a level impossible to imagine or describe.

The Martyrdom of Sheikh Mahmud Lala

Some months after the last battle, the old Mujahad Maulavi Mahmud Lala was leading afternoon prayer on the mountain top. With his impressive stature, he was standing for prayer between the hands of Allah when a number of helicopters appeared to raid the position. The gigantic man paid no heed to the odious noise coming from the helicopter machine guns. A round from the shower of machine gun fire struck the head of the elderly man and the body of the Shamikh fell with his blood staining the rocks of the mountains he loved and which loved him. The spirit soared with the dear one to the place where the Beloved Ones awaited him.

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The locations and details differed, but what happened in Paktia at the hands of Jalaluddin and his six men with their ancient rifles and their broken-down mule, was repeated in Jalalabad at the hands of Maulavi Mohamed Yunis Khales, a sheikh who was more than sixty years old. With him were his students who had received at his hands their learning in Kabul and Jalalabad. Yesterday he was their sheikh teaching them their learning and today he was their leader on the field of Jihad. Sheikh Khales achieved successes like those achieved by Jalaluddin in Paktia, with the same spirit of enthusiasm and yearning for martyrdom.

In Konar, Maulavi Mohamed Hussein had plunged into the venture of the great trial. In Nuristan the men started under the leadership of unknown Ulema – and it may remain that way forever – and they liberated Nuristan entirely and established Islamic rule there. And this is what happened in Ghazny, Qandahar, Mazar-i-Sharif, Logar, Maidan and elsewhere. The spirit of Jihad was ignited throughout the country and gradually the power of the army was destroyed. The ruling party lost most of its cadre in furnace of fiery battles or in assassinations that took place on the streets of Kabul and other cities.

When is Russia Coming?

Maulavi Jalaluddin was sitting on the mountain top where was located his command center in the village of Sarana. Everything around him was draped in white snow, and the houses were almost invisible within their frozen covers. In this mountain region where the snow reaches the height of a man, most people prefer to migrate to the border region with Pakistan until spring comes. To his right, Jalaluddin cast his glance upon a wooden hut sheltering a Dushka machine gun. Snow had covered it until its interior appeared as a pit covered in white snow. Inside it, the snoring increased from the young Qayyum Khan, wrapped within ragged strips in this stinging icy cold. The presence of Jalaluddin encouraged the youth to sleep easily, relying on his leader to watch the skies and wake him in case of an emergency. Jalaluddin smiled as he looked at the slumbering young man, and the story of the Ahl al-Kahf came to his mind and he murmured the noble Aya: “They were youths who believed in their Lord and We advanced them in guidance”. Then he looked below where lay the houses on the borders of the narrow valley like a great frozen tomb which had lost all signs of life - except Jalaluddin who was lost in a wave of dark thoughts until he was roused by the sound of crunching ice under the slow, and heavy tread of a panting newcomer.

The newcomer was the officer Golezrak, a former major in the army and a son of the same Zadran tribe to which Haqqani belonged. Haqqani looked at the hard officer with sharp, blue eyes whose breathing was growing choppy and steamy and had carded snow upon his eyelashes and trim mustache.

The two men exchanged a terse greeting betraying the tension and excitement struggling inside both of them incongruous with the icy death surrounding the place. They both sat down next to each other on the stump of an old tree that had long ago collapsed, as if one would find in it no use other than to be a place to sit, recalling the peace and tranquility of eternity.

Golezrak began the talk saying, “Maulavi Sahib, have you sent for me?”

“Yes, Golezrak, perhaps you have heard Radio Kabul this morning?”

“Yes, Maulavi Sahib, the Russian army has come”.

“What do you think, major?”

“You know, Maulavi Sahib, what the Russians did to the Muslims in Bokhara and Samarkand.”

“And what do you advise, Golezrak?”

“I received my military education at their hands, and I know how they think. They will not begin their real activity in our area before three months with the coming of spring. We need to organize our affairs during this period.”

“And how do we organize our affairs?”

“We will not be able to hold out more than three months. Within six months at the most they will have subjugated the entire country.”

“Do we withdraw then?”

“This is not exactly what I mean, but we must work to gain time and prolong the period of our resistance to the utmost possible. For perhaps an international solution will appear. Because I don’t think the world will be silent about this and maybe China or America will intervene directly in the war. And maybe we will receive much assistance from the Arab states to buy the modern weapons we need.”

“I’m asking you what we can do. I’m not concerned about what others do. Those people won’t move even if we’re slaughtered like sheep. What have they given us during the 18 lean months in which we experienced these things at the hands of Russian experts and their young men. By Allah, you must tell me what must we do?”

“Maulavi Sahib, please do not be angry. We cannot resist for more than three months or about that. I advise that we hide our heavy weapons in the mountain caves and establish a chain of caches to conceal our ammunition. We will distribute the men into small groups to begin guerilla warfare against the Russians. “

“Golezrak, with rifles and small bands we cannot hold all these areas currently in our hands. We cannot even hold the mountain passes we now use. We would close in the faces of our muhajareen in Pakistan the way to return again to their villages. What will happen is that the Russians will control the main roads and mountain passes as well as the cities and villages. And upon them they will pursue us and hunt us one by one as people hunt the wild beasts in the mountains.”

“I think that is a highly logical sequence.”

“Very well. Then we will not surrender our necks to the Russians and we will not let them hunt us like rats. The roads that we need for our movements and for transporting people and muhajareen back and forth will remain open. Our vital areas will remain ours or will kill everyone above them, and the convoys will not safely cross any roads in the province.”

“Maulavi Sahib, this will be a hugely expensive confrontation. The tribal leaders and field commanders must be consulted.”

“It shall be so. I sent one to inform everybody of a meeting tomorrow afternoon for a Shura council of the Mujahideen and tribes in the province.”

……………………………………….

In the middle of a forest of mulberry and apricot trees dried out from the cold, about 800 persons gathered with all their weapons – young men, mature men, and old men, the blood in whose veins was rekindled by Jihad as they vied with the young men in the front ranks of battle.

All came to hear Jalaluddin, the man with whom they had started Jihad and with whom they plunged into war with all its gravity, blood and martyrs as they participated with him in manufacturing the victory and the glory which had resurrected a bright shining reality.

Jalaluddin stood in front of the assembly representing the Ulema and sheikhs of the tribes, the Mujahideen and the group leaders. The young scholar stood with his palms placed over the muzzle of his old English rifle, planted on the layer of ice that coated the open space. He remained silent for some time, lost in thought as he scrutinized the faces of those sitting row upon row. Without realizing it, he was searching for the faces of old comrades, most of who had already passed on as martyrs. Of those he found only one – the lean face and sad eyes of the pious Maulavi Ahmad Gul. He was all that remained from the first beginning of the Jihad.

How he longed to see the beloved face of his life-long friend Sheikh Mahmud Lala, that face which radiated peace and tranquility and confidence in victory at even the gravest times of trial and affliction. He twice looked over the faces in the front row, spurred on by the vague hope that he would find him there, sitting as always with his huge body and his sharp glances like blazing stars shooting from deep eyes combining intelligence and benevolence, shaded by heavy eyebrows like the eaves of a forest concealing endless secrets, and with his old rifle that never left his hands, which possessed the vigor and raw mountainous enormity that enabled him to wring the neck of any earthly beast with ease.

Jalaluddin remained silent, distractedly casting his glance among the rows of men, until he became aware that those gathered before him were waiting upon his decisive word to show them the way through these dark calamities that portended great dangers and made all previous events seem petty by comparison.

He began his speech praising Allah, followed by a brief explanation of all that had happened in Afghanistan since communist coup until the earth-shaking news of the arrival of the Russian army and its occupation of the capital Kabul the previous night, recalling the tragedies which Russia caused for the Muslims in Turkistan (Central Asia) and the slaughters in the great Islamic cities of Bokhara and Samarkand.

He then recited to them Ayas from the Glorious Quran which encourage Jihad and fighting Fi Sabeel Allah and rebuked those who disagreed or were idle in performing this obligation. He spoke to them about the rank of martyrs in Paradise, reminding them of the honors and achievements of their martyred brothers, and how through them Allah protected Islam and the people and by them struck terror in the hearts of infidels thereby gaining great prestige for the Muslim. He then reminded them of the many wonders they had witnessed in hard times and the victory that came down to them from Allah when all believed that defeat and destruction were inescapable. The young scholar did not leave unsaid anything he wanted to say.

Finally, he turned to the tree on his right and rested upon it his old rifle that had been with him since his first departure Fi Sabeel Allah. He then removed the large white turban from his head and began wrapping it around his right armpit and left shoulder and recited these Ayas from the Book of Allah:

Allah hath purchased of the believers their persons and their goods; for theirs in return is Paradise: they fight in His cause, and slay and are slain: a promise binding on Him in Truth, through the Law, the Gospel, and the Quran: and who is more faithful to his covenant than Allah? Then rejoice in the bargain which ye have concluded: that is the achievement supreme. (Sura al-Tauba Verse 111)

The men knew well that Aya and what it meant. The Sheikh had explained it to them repeatedly and the Ulema recited it in the hearing of many. The sheikhs began to cry; they lifted their turbans from their heads and placed them on the ground. They raised their hands towards heaven, saying Amen to the prayer of Jalaluddin who was crying as he beseeched Allah for victory over their enemies and to protect Islam in this country. The young men saw no shame in displaying their emotions and weeping on this occasion, even though it was forbidden for the men of the mountains to show their tears in any other situations.

Jalaluddin stopped talking and the men dried their tears as their turbans lay thrown on the ground. Silence covered the place, a silence that was eloquent in expressing the feelings that no words could describe. There lengthened an absolute silence, unprecedented in similar meetings in the past, as if words and thoughts had been frozen by the piercing winter wind. Above their heads gathered a tension mingled with fighting ardor and uncertainty about what tomorrow would bring in surprises and the pain of the departure of those martyrs coming to join their beloved ones who went in the recent past?

The silence remained heavy until it was broken by a simple bedu who spoke suddenly in a high voice with all the spontaneity of the Bedouin and their instinctive courage. He directed his speech to the young scholar, saying: “Jalaluddin – I heard that the Russians have long rifles with scopes that make far away things appear up close, and that one can kill a man a day’s journey away. By Allah, you must tell me when the Russians are coming so I can kill one of them and take his rifle.”

Everyone shook with laughter and Jalaluddin’s teeth shone with pure laughter. It was as if a mysterious power of energy and joy had penetrated the gloomy atmosphere of the place and entered in a blink of an eye the hearts of those sitting there. They began talking with each other and looking with mirth at the plain bedu.

Jalaluddin calmly gestured to them and announced in a loud voice, “Let all bear witness that the first rifle of this type that we capture as booty will be the share of this man”.

The council shook with cries of “Allahu Akbar” and they began to congratulate the man on his new rifle and warmly embracing him laughing with joy and gladness as if the booty was actually in their hands. Jalaluddin was roused to action and embarked with his men in feverish activity racing against time. The coming spring would not see the usual wedding parties. For the snow had begun to melt as if to compete with the men in a grand race to embrace the virgins of paradise.

Tomorrow in spring the streams of Paktia would overflow with water and blood.

Source: Theunjustmedia.
Link: http://theunjustmedia.com/Islamic%20Perspectives/March10/Jalal%20al-Din%20Haqqani,%20a%20Legend%20in%20the%20History%20of%20the%20Afghanistan%20Jihad.htm.

Indonesia Is More Cruel To Own Sons

Rabi' al-Awwal 30, 1431 A.H, Wednesday March 17, 2010

The government always projects their own image as being a populist, that in tackling problems facing the nation they always give way to dialogues, not exhibiting sadism and violence… or so they claim. However, the truth of the matter is that the government are doing harm on the urgency of that dialogue itself.

This was expressed by the spokesman of Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI), Ismail Yusanto, concerning the shootings of the people suspected as “terrorists”.

"Why, when it comes to our own people, we are too sadistic? Whereas, they are no more than just suspects. They could have been captured alive actually. But, what happened was that they were shot again for making a bit of movement," Ismail said, in a conference with Hidayatullah.com, Monday (15/3).

It was, Ismail continued, a great tragedy for a nation called Indonesia which often carries the jargon of healthy dialogues.

“It made me see this nation as nation that never knows dialogues. I see it as more for the interests of the elites actually,” he explained.

Regarding the statement by certain personalities who considered the coming of Obama to Indonesia in the coming days as all right and said that there is no need of rejection and that Obama should still be received as a guest, in Ismail’s view, that is not a problem.

However, according to Ismail, the stance on rejecting the coming of Obama depends on from which angle one sees it.

“There are two kinds of guest,” Ismail said “i.e. a problematic guest and a good guest. In this case, Obama is classified as a problematic guest with the policy of his government which has wounded the Islamic ummah in various countries.”

“Depends on how we see Obama, how he is like in our eyes. We judge Obama as an invader and he has committed munkar, so we are rejecting him,” he said.

The argumentation by one of the public figures who quoted a hadith of the Prophet SAW which said that a kafir guest still has to be accepted, Ismail said that the hadith to be used should not be that one.

Also in the hadith of the Prophet SAW, Ismail explained, there is an injunction that when we see munkar we reject it with all the abilities that we have.

“This is the hadith that should be used. We reject Obama’s munkar,” he asserted.

Source: Theunjustmedia.
Link: http://theunjustmedia.com/Islamic%20Perspectives/March10/Indonesia%20Is%20More%20Cruel%20To%20Own%20Sons.htm.

Illegal detention of Hurriyet leaders in IHK denounced

Srinagar, March 21 (KMS): In occupied Kashmir, the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Freedom League (JKPFL) has strongly denounced the continued illegal detention of Hurriyet leaders and activists.

The JKPFL spokesman in a statement issued in Srinagar said that the Kashmiri detainees were being treated inhumanly in the jails and they were not being provided with basic human facilities including hygienic food and medical treatment.

The spokesman said that India was victimizing the Kashmiris for none of their sins but rejecting its illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir. He demanded immediate release of the party General Secretary, Muhammad Rafiq Ganai, Chief Organizer, Altaf Ahmed Khan and all other pro-movement leaders and activists.

Source: Kashmir Media Service.
Link: http://www.kmsnews.org/news/illegal-detention-hurriyet-leaders-ihk-denounced.

Indian troops martyr one innocent Kashmiri youth

Srinagar, March 21 (KMS): In occupied Kashmir, Indian troops, in their fresh act of state terrorism, martyred one innocent Kashmiri youth in Pulwama district.

Dead body of the martyred youth identified as Parvaiz Ahmed Dar was recovered from the debris of a house destroyed by the personnel of Indian army’s 3 and 55 Rashtriya Rifles during siege and search operations at Dogripora in Awantipora area of the district.

Earlier, one army captain was critically injured in an attack in the same area. The operation was going on till last reports came in.

On the other hand, unidentified gunmen killed a mechanic, Muhammad Saleem Dar in Sopore town while armed agents of Indian army barged into the house of a Hurriyet leader, Sheikh Ali Mohammad and critically injured his son Mushtaq Ahmad Sheikh at Dadasar in Tral.

Source: Kashmir Media Service.
Link: http://www.kmsnews.org/news/indian-troops-martyr-one-innocent-kashmiri-youth-1.

US offers latest airborne radar to India

New Delhi, March 21 : After a range of top fighter aircraft and other weapon systems, the US has now offered another sophisticated system to India, the Airborne Stand-Off Radar (ASTOR), whose capability has been described as "unmatched" by a former US navy official.

According to Admiral Walter F. Doran, president Asia for Raytheon, Indian officials had already been briefed on "this latest radar, for highly effective 24-hour surveillance and target acquisition capability", India Strategic magazine reported in its latest issue. The system is being operated now by the British Army and Royal Air Force (RAF) in Afghanistan with five ASTOR aircraft and eight ground stations.

Admiral Doran is quoted in the magazine as saying that Raytheon, a military technology giant, had also submitted a formal proposal to the Indian government. He declined to give details.

First deployed in 2008, ASTOR can even detect minor variations in surface levels, like digging and filling of earth at the same place, and draw conclusions about activity. The system consists of an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar on board the Bombardier Global Express 'Sentinel' business jet. Indian officials first visited the aircraft displayed at the Paris Air Show in June 2009 and have followed up with discussions.

Admiral Doran, a former US Navy 7th Fleet commander, said that "the capability on board the ASTOR was unmatched", pointing out that although Raytheon did not make platforms, its combat systems were on board most of the US aircraft, ships, spacecraft and land vehicles. For instance, the AESA radar on board the Boeing F 18 Super Hornet, F 15 Eagle and P8 Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft (for the US and Indian Navies) is built by Raytheon.

The company has also built an AESA radar for F 16s, should a country buying it make the choice in its favor.

So was the Mini-SAR, or the Miniaturized Synthetic Aperture Radar, on board India's lunar mission Chandrayaan-1 which located ice on the polar surface of moon through high resolution imagery.

Raytheon provided the Mini-SAR to NASA, which gave it to the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) for its lunar mission as part of their cooperative venture. NASA later sent another mission with a higher resolution SAR camera.

Admiral Doran said that ASTOR flies high enough - 40,000 to 45,000 feet - to cover a large ground area, and to be beyond the range of most surface-to-air missiles (SAMs). It is also equipped with a self protection suite to put out flares and chaff to confuse and deflect any threatening missiles.

ASTOR's main equipment includes a dual-mode SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) and Moving Target Indicator (SAR/MTI), part of the AESA system. The aircraft can fly for nine hours at a stretch.

There are three consoles for monitoring the ground, two for image analysts and one for the Airborne Mission Commander, besides the pilot and co-pilot. Data from the aircraft is fed to the ground stations from where action against hostile targets is initiated if required.

The US has already offered to India F 35 JSF, F 16 Super Viper, F 18 Super Hornet and P8I aircraft and weapon systems.

Source: New Kerala.
Link: http://www.newkerala.com/news/fullnews-74564.html.